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DATE=4/20/2000 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=U-N NUKE CONFERENCE PREVIEW (L ONLY) NUMBER=2-261571 BYLINE=BRECK ARDERY DATELINE=UNITED NATIONS CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A major United Nations conference to review the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty opens Monday and a top U-N official is expressing hope that nuclear weapons issues will again be made a world priority. V- O-A Correspondent Breck Ardery reports from the United Nations. TEXT: The review conference, held every five years, will run for four weeks and will include speeches by 20 foreign ministers including Igor Ivanov of Russia and Madeleine Albright of the United States. U-N Undersecretary for Disarmament Affairs Jayantha Dhanapala (Jie-an-tha Donna-palla), who is organizing the conference, says he hopes it will re-focus world attention on the continued dangers of nuclear weapons. Mr. Dhanapala believes nuclear disarmament is a major concern, especially among non-nuclear weapons nations. /// FIRST DHANAPALA ACT /// There is widespread feeling among non-nuclear weapons states that the record as far as nuclear disarmament is concerned requires much more progress than has actually been recorded. /// END ACT /// The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has been signed by 187 nations and is the most widely supported nuclear weapons agreement in the world. Only four nations - Cuba, India, Israel, and Pakistan - have not formally endorsed the treaty. Mr. Dhanapala says the fact that both India and Pakistan have tested nuclear weapons since the last non-proliferation conference should mean that those tests will be widely discussed. Mr. Dhanapala says decisions at the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Conference are expected to be reached by consensus. /// SECOND DHANAPALA ACT/// Although the rules of procedure permit voting, that has never been resorted to. I think resorting to voting would be an indication of a weakening of the treaty and some kind of division in the ranks of the treaty parties. That should be avoided as much as possible. /// END ACT /// The U-N official says he hopes that, in addition to reviewing developments in the last five years, the conference will develop a program of action to further contain nuclear weapons over the next five years. (Signed) NEB/UN/BA/LSF/gm 20-Apr-2000 16:19 PM EDT (20-Apr-2000 2019 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .